EP0522935A1 - Element for fastening a covering on a coat lining and apparatus for such a fastening element - Google Patents

Abstract

Element for fastening a covering on a lining layer already fastened to the structure, in particular of a seat, characterised in that it comprises a head (1) fitted with a cone point (2), intended to pass through the covering (H) and the layer (R), a foot (4) for holding the covering against the layer, the said foot extending in a transverse direction with respect to the head and being connected to the latter by a flexible clip (5) whose length corresponds approximately to the sum of the thicknesses of the lining of the seat and of the covering to be installed. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to the fixing of covering elements on an already fixed covering, integral with a lining structure and relates more particularly to the fixing of covers on seats, in particular of motor vehicles.

Motorists most often wish to dress the seats of their vehicle with covers made from more aesthetic materials than those which constitute the upholstery of the seats supplied by the manufacturer.

Thus, a good number of users wish to cover the seats of their vehicle with leather upholstery.

However, leather is a material which has a certain stiffness, so that the fitting of leather covers on seats, the surface of which often has re-entrant parts gives rise to problems in making the cover conform to the hollow shapes of the upholstery. 'origin.

Until now, the leather covers are fixed by a few pulling points by means of cords crossing the seat right through.

Such a fastening system is long to produce, different for each seat model, and requires qualified upholsterers for a mediocre result given the too low number of pull points.

In the manufacture of furniture seats, there is also the need to fix covers on the covering fabrics glued to the upholstery foam.

The invention aims to solve the problems posed by the placement of covers of a material having a certain stiffness by creating a fastening element which, while being of an extremely simple construction, is very easy to apply in all desired points. '' seat upholstery.

It therefore relates to a fastening element for a covering on a lining covering already fixed to the frame, in particular a seat, characterized in that it comprises a head provided with a point, intended to pass through the covering and covering, a foot holding the covering against the covering, said foot extending transversely with respect to the head and being connected to the latter by a flexible flange whose length corresponds approximately to the sum thicknesses of seat upholstery and upholstery.

The invention also relates to a device for installing fasteners of the type defined above, characterized in that it comprises a hollow needle intended to pierce the covering and the covering at the desired location and comprising a axial channel whose end close to the tip of the needle is intended to receive the head of the fixing element and is provided with an axial slot which opens at the level of the tip, an extractor slidably mounted in the channel axial of the needle, said extractor being provided with a stop engaged in the axial slot and intended to cooperate with the head and the foot of the fixing element to ensure by relative displacement of the extractor and the needle, the establishment of the fixing element and the withdrawal of the needle and of the means for moving the extractor in the axial channel of the needle.

• la Fig.1 est une vue en perspective d'un élément de fixation suivant l'invention;
• la Fig. 2 est une vue en élévation à plus grande échelle de l'élément de fixation de la Fig. 1;
• les Fig.3 et 4 sont respectivement des coupes suivant les lignes 3-3 et 4-4 de la Fig.2;
• la Fig.5 est une vue partielle de face de la pointe de l'élément de fixation de la Fig.2;
• la Fig.6 est une vue de dessus de l'élément de fixation de la Fig.2;
• la Fig.7 est une vue partielle d'une aiguille de pose d'un élément de fixation suivant l'invention, montrant le chargement de l'élément de fixation;
• les Fig.8 à 13 sont des vues schématiques représentant les phases successives de pose d'un élément de fixation suivant l'invention pour assurer la fixation d'une housse sur un revêtement d'origine;
• la Fig.14 est une vue en élévation d'un mode de réalisation de dispositif à aiguille de mise en place d'éléments de fixation suivant l'invention, le dispositif étant représenté au repos; et
• la Fig.15 est une vue correspondant à celle de la Fig.14 montrant le dispositif en fin de mouvement.

The invention will be better understood with the aid of the description which follows, given solely by way of example and made with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

• Fig.1 is a perspective view of a fastening element according to the invention;
• Fig. 2 is an elevational view on a larger scale of the fixing element of FIG. 1;
• Fig.3 and 4 are respectively sections along lines 3-3 and 4-4 of Fig.2;
• Fig.5 is a partial front view of the tip of the fixing member of Fig.2;
• Fig.6 is a top view of the fixing member of Fig.2;
• Fig.7 is a partial view of a needle for fitting a fixing element according to the invention, showing the loading of the fixing element;
• Figs. 8 to 13 are schematic views showing the successive phases of fitting a fixing element according to the invention to ensure the fixing of a cover on an original coating;
• Fig.14 is an elevational view of an embodiment of a needle device for fitting fastening elements according to the invention, the device being shown at rest; and
• Fig.15 is a view corresponding to that of Fig.14 showing the device at the end of movement.

We will first refer to Fig.1 to 6 on which there is shown the fastening element according to the invention.

As can be seen in the perspective view of Fig.1, this element mainly comprises a head 1 provided with a point 2 and a heel 3, a foot 4 of generally cylindrical shape whose direction makes a 90 ° angle with the direction of the head 1 and a curved flange 5 of rectangular section and having a flexibility greater than that of the head 1 and the foot 4 of the element.

The point 2 and the heel 3 of the head are arranged on either side of the flange 5.

This fixing element, which can also be called a dart, is produced by molding in one piece from a high-strength plastic material which is sufficiently flexible to prevent its deterioration during installation and to have an appropriate mechanical resistance in order to ensure the assembly of a cover with an underlying coating at appropriate points.

As can best be seen in FIGS. 2 to 6, the head 1 of the assembly element or dart according to the invention has a cross section in the region of the heel 3 of roughly rectangular shape with a curved side, as shown in the sectional view of Fig.3 and near the tip 2, a roughly circular cross section as shown in the sectional view of Fig.4.

However, the zone of connection of the head with the curved flange 5 constitutes a flat 6 at the end of the head close to the tip 2.

In the connection zone between the head 1 and its tip 2, a small boss 7 is provided intended to ensure the maintenance of the fixing element inside a needle of a positioning device as it will be described later.

The roughly rectangular section of the heel 3 is obtained using axial flats 8.

Finally, the free end 9 of the heel 3 has a curved shape making it possible to facilitate the change of orientation of the head 1 during the fitting of the fastening element as will be described hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 8 to 13.

It can be seen by referring to FIG. 6 that the flange 5 has a rectangular cross section, while the head 1 and the foot 4 of the fixing element have roughly cylindrical shapes.

As can be seen in Fig.7, the fastening element according to the invention is placed using a hollow needle 10 having an axial channel 11 which opens at the tip 12 of the needle.

The fastening element is loaded into the needle by inserting the head 1 of said element into the end of the axial channel 11.

To this end, the needle is provided with an axial slot 13 which opens out at the point of the toe 12 and whose width roughly corresponds to the distance between the flats 8 of the heel 3 as well as to the width of the flange. 5 connecting the head 1 with the foot 4 of the fixing element. Thus, the width of the slot 13 is adapted to allow the heel 3 of the head and the flange 5 of the fastening element to pass.

In the axial channel 11 of the needle is slidably mounted an extractor plunger 14 actuated by means which will be described hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15.

The extractor 14 is provided with a lateral stop 15 which projects out of the needle through the axial slot 13 of the latter.

As can be seen in Fig. 7, the loading of a fixing element into the needle is ensured by inserting the head 1 of the fixing element in the end part close to the tip 12 in the direction of the arrow F. In the loading position, the flange 5 of the dart passes through the axial slot 13 of the channel 11 and the foot 4 is located outside the needle 10.

The fixing element is held in the needle by the boss 7 provided in the vicinity of the tip 2 thereof and which is slightly compressed during loading of the fixing element.

We will now describe with reference to Figs 8 to 13, the various phases of a fitting operation of a fixing element according to the invention to ensure the fixing of a cover H on a coating R of a foam M upholstery, already in place for example on the seat of a motor vehicle.

The needle 10 in which a fastening element has been loaded until the heel 3 comes into abutment against the end of the rod of the extractor plunger 14, is inserted through the original coating R and the cover to be fixed H The point 12 of the needle penetrates into the filling foam.

The driving-in movement of the needle 10 is stopped when the foot 4 of the fixing element abuts against the surface of the cover H to be fixed.

Because of the flexibility of the flange 5, it tends to take an almost rectilinear shape.

The fixing element is then in the position shown in Fig. 8.

In FIG. 9, the extractor pusher 14 having been released by means which will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15, it continues to bear on the heel 3 of the fastening element, but, taking into account the possibility now that the needle 10 to move relative to the extractor 14, the needle starts a backward movement in the direction of arrow f1. As a result, the tip 2 of the head of the fastening element begins to appear outside the tip 12 of the needle 10.

The recoil movement of the needle initiated in Fig. 9 continues in Fig. 10, but the extractor 14 advances and causes the head 1 of the fixing element to tilt because its cylindrical front part being released from the guide via the axial channel 11 of the needle, its heel 3 penetrates into the open end of the axial slot 13.

The tilting of the head 1 occurs beyond the thickness of the covering R and of the cover to be fixed, inside of the filling foam M.

The extractor pusher 14 continuing to move towards the surface of the cover H, arrives in a position such that its stop 15 comes into contact with the foot 4 of the fastening element.

As shown in Fig.11, in this position, the end of the extractor pusher 14 has completely tilted the head 1 in a position perpendicular to its position of loading into the needle 10. The fact that the extractor pusher 14 cannot no longer to move, causes by reaction, the backward movement of the needle always in the direction of arrow 1.

It can be seen in FIG. 12 that the movement of withdrawal of the needle continues by relative displacement of the latter relative to the extractor plunger still in abutment against the lateral surface of the heel 3 of the fastening element. It can also be seen that, under the effect of the combined forces of the stop 15 of the extractor plunger 14 which bears against the foot 4 of the fixing element and of the free end of the extractor plunger 14, which bears against the heel of the head of this element, the flange 5 which connects the head 1 to the foot 4 returns to its original shape.

Finally, we see in Fig.13, that the needle 10 is completely out of the coating and that the fixing element assembles the cover H with the coating R.

In Figs. 14 and 15, there is shown a device for placing or installing fasteners or darts according to the invention, using a hollow needle.

The tubular needle 10 comprises, as indicated above with reference to FIGS. 7 to 13, an axial channel 11 and a point 12 intended to pierce a hole in the original coating and in the cover as described with reference to FIG. 8 .

In the axial channel 11, is mounted displaceable in translation, the extractor pusher 14 provided with its stop 15 protruding out of the axial channel 11 through the slot 13 formed at the free end of the needle.

The extractor 14 is extended in the axial channel 11 by a rod 20 which carries at its end opposite to the extractor 14, an operating button 21. At its end situated opposite the button 21, the needle carries a handle 22 Between one of the branches of the handle 22 and the operating button 21 is a knee lever 23 whose levers 24 and 25 are articulated respectively on the handle 22 and on the button 21, while the point of articulation between the two levers 24 and 25 includes a button 26 for locking and unlocking the toggle.

A spring 27 for returning the toggle joint in the locked position surrounds the articulation of the lever 24 on the handle 22 secured to the needle 10.

To use the positioning device which has just been described, it is taken with the full hand, the palm resting on the operating button 21 and the fingers engaged on the handle 22 secured to the needle.

In Fig.14, the device is shown in the rest position in which the extractor pusher 14 is retracted inside the needle 10 and thus releases a space 28 for receiving a fixing element. The toggle switch 24.25 is in the locked position and immobilizes the extractor plunger 14 relative to the needle 10.

On Fig.15, on the contrary, the device has been shown at the end of movement with the extractor pusher 14 projecting from the tip 12 of the needle 10.

The operation of the positioning device described with reference to Figs. 14 and 15 is as follows.

After insertion of the needle 10 carrying a fastening element as described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, one acts with a finger on the button 26 of the toggle joint in order to initiate the folding thereof, which has the effect of unlocking the needle 10 relative to the extractor 14 and therefore allow relative movement between these two bodies.

The closing movement in the hand between the handle 22 and the operating button 21 makes it possible to continuously exert pressure on the assembly and consequently on the heel 3 of the head 1 of the fastening element. This has the effect of causing the progressive withdrawal of the needle as already explained with reference to Figs. 8 to 13 and the positioning of the fixing element by changing the orientation of the head 1 which is placed behind the face of the initial coating R opposite the cover H.

The device for fitting fixing elements or darts which has just been described with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15, is of a particularly simple design and makes it possible to ensure the assembly of a cover with a covering a seat by laying "blind" fasteners according to the invention.

Of course, the construction of the device for fitting fastening elements can be modified without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (9)

Fastening element for a covering on a lining covering already fixed to the frame, in particular a seat, characterized in that it comprises a head (1) provided with a point (2), intended to pass through the covering (H) and the covering (R), a foot (4) for holding the covering against the covering, said foot extending transversely with respect to the head and being connected to the latter by a flexible flange ( 5) whose length corresponds roughly to the sum of the thicknesses of the seat upholstery and the covering to be installed. Fastening element according to claim 1, characterized in that it is produced by molding in a single piece of plastic. Fastening element according to either of Claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the head (1) thereof is of generally cylindrical shape allowing it to be guided in a hollow needle by a fitting device at the start of laying and comprises a heel of reduced section with respect to the rest of the head and allowing the fastening element to free itself from the guidance of the needle at the end of installation. Fastening element according to claim 3, characterized in that the free end (9) of the heel (3) has a curved shape making it possible to facilitate a change of orientation of the head (1) during the installation of the element of fixation. Fastening element according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the flange (5) connecting the head (1) with the foot (4) is of curved shape and has a cross section approximately equal to that of the heel (3) of the head (1). Device for fitting fastening elements according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises a hollow needle (10) intended to pierce the covering (R) and the covering (H) at the desired location and comprising an axial channel (11) the end of which near the point (12) of the needle is intended to receive and guide the head ( 1) of the fixing element and is provided with an axial slot (13), which opens at the point (12), an extractor (14) slidably mounted in the axial channel of the needle, said extractor being provided with a stop (15) engaged in the axial slot (13) and intended to cooperate with the head (1) and the foot (4) of the fixing element to ensure by relative movement of the extractor and the needle, the fitting of the fixing element and the withdrawal of the needle (10) and of the means of displacement of the extractor (14) in the axial channel (11) of the needle (10) . Installation device according to claim 6, characterized in that the means for moving the extractor (14) in the axial channel (11) of the needle (10) comprise a rod (20) extending the extractor and bringing to its end opposite to it, an operating button (21), a handle (22) carried at the end of the needle located opposite the button (21), a knee switch (23) disposed between the button operation (21) and the handle (22), the levers (24,25) of the toggle joint being articulated respectively on the handle (22) and on the button (21), while the point of articulation between the two levers ( 24.25) has a button (26) for locking and unlocking the knee lifter. Installation device according to claim 7, characterized in that it comprises a spring (27) for returning the toggle joint in the locked position. Installation device according to one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the width of the axial slot (13) of the needle is adapted to allow the heel (3) of the head and the flange (5) of the fixing element.

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